S12 Bonus: Yoav Crombie, Pragatix by AGAT Software
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In this bonus episode of Code Story, host Noah Labhart interviews Yoav Crombie, co-founder and CEO of Agathe (AGAT Software), about the creation and evolution of Pragatix—a platform designed to bring secure, private, and controlled AI adoption to enterprises. Drawing on decades of experience in cybersecurity and enterprise software, Yoav explains how Pragatix emerged from the need to address two critical challenges: the risk of exposing sensitive corporate data to public AI models and the lack of visibility and control over how employees use AI tools. The platform offers an on-prem AI suite for private, data-secure AI workflows and a multi-layered firewall that monitors agent behavior, model risks, and data sensitivity in real time. Yoav emphasizes a customer-led, iterative approach to product development, rapid prototyping using modern AI tools, and a strong focus on team culture—guided by his '4H' hiring philosophy (humble, honest, hungry, happy). He reflects on the company’s journey from bootstrapped startup to a 25-person team serving 25 Fortune 500 clients, and shares insights on scalability, mistakes in speed vs. quality, and the importance of believing in big visions. His final advice to young founders? Think big, believe in yourself, and keep your eyes on the horizon—just like in cycling and surfing.
Build secure, private AI platforms with on-prem deployment and real-time monitoring to protect sensitive data and meet compliance needs.
Adopt a customer-led, rapid-iteration approach—prototype fast, get feedback early, and evolve based on real-world use.
Hire for culture fit using the '4H' framework: humble, honest, hungry, and happy—these traits matter more than technical skill alone.
Balance speed with quality—moving fast can break things, but disciplined iteration prevents long-term pain.
Believe in your vision: positive thinking and clear direction shape reality in business and life.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Sponsor Intro: The Build & .tech Domains
The episode opens with sponsor messages for The Build podcast and .tech domains, with Noah sharing a personal story about struggling to secure a .com domain in 2016 and advocating for .tech as a clear, identity-driven alternative for tech startups.
Introducing Pragatix: Secure AI for Enterprises
“We enable AI for companies that have problems or restrictions from using AI. We have a new interesting direction by the way which is a side result of the visibility we can give you like intelligence into adoption.”
The Origins: From Cybersecurity to AI Security
Yoav traces the roots of Pragatix back to AGAT’s earlier work in application firewalls for Skype for Business and email security, which were acquired by Symantec. These experiences gave the team deep expertise in enterprise security, compliance, and on-prem deployment.
MVP Evolution: From AI Assistant to Firewall
“I'm very customer-led. I hear what customers want. I try to build some prototype to show it to them, work in very short iterations even if it's not fully functional, get short feedbacks and bring it to market as fast as possible.”
Team Culture & the 4H Philosophy
“I feel it's a match and it takes me time to find employees. I'm very fussy about that but it's like a date you need to keep trying until you feel it.”
“If you really believe in what you do and you can envision your future bright and clear, envision yourself becoming a leader in what you're doing, it will happen eventually.”
“We enable AI for companies that have problems or restrictions from using AI. We have a new interesting direction by the way which is a side result of the visibility we can give you like intelligence into adoption.”
“Think big. Think big. Work big, you'll become big.”
Host
Guest
Pragatix
product
Yoav Crombie
person
Agathe
organization
ChatGPT
product
BrainGrid
product
Mesmo
product
The Build
media
Private Investor
person
Unblocked
product
Cursor
product
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